Harbourfront and CityPlace
The board files this area as Waterfront Communities C1.
The densest residential district in the country, built almost entirely of glass towers on former rail land, with the lake on one side and the Gardiner on the other.
Homes for sale in Harbourfront and CityPlace
725 on the market now — each with its school boundaries, sale history and what comparable homes actually sold for.
What it is like
This is condominium territory almost exclusively — CityPlace on the old Spadina rail yards, the Harbourfront blocks along Queens Quay, and the newer towers around the Bathurst and Fort York edges. Almost nothing here predates the 1990s and much of it is far newer, so the questions that matter are building-specific rather than street-specific: which tower, which exposure, what the maintenance fee covers, and whether the unit faces the lake, the rail corridor or another building. Unit sizes run small, and the difference between a 500-square-foot one-bedroom and a 700-square-foot one-bedroom-plus-den is most of the price conversation.
Getting around
The 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina streetcars run in their own rights-of-way and connect to Union Station, which puts every GO line and Line 1 within one short ride. Union is walkable from much of the eastern half. The Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard are immediately north of the waterfront strip, which is the trade for the location: excellent transit, and traffic noise that varies enormously by floor and exposure.
Things to see and do
The Martin Goodman Trail runs the length of the waterfront for cycling and walking, and the ferry terminal at the foot of Bay Street serves the Toronto Islands. Harbourfront Centre programmes concerts, craft studios and a winter skating rink; the Music Garden sits further west along Queens Quay. Fort York and its visitor centre are just north, and Rogers Centre, the CN Tower and Scotiabank Arena are all within walking distance of the eastern end.
Shops, restaurants and work
Retail here is mostly at grade in the towers themselves and along Queens Quay, with the Loblaws at Queens Quay and the shops in the Fort York and Spadina blocks handling everyday needs. The Financial District is a fifteen-minute walk or one streetcar stop north, which is the commute for a large share of residents.
Schools nearby
Within about 2.5km of the middle of the neighbourhood, with the Ministry of Education’s EQAO results where the school reported them. A rating is one measure of one thing, and school boundaries are set by the board rather than by distance — check any individual listing for the boundaries that actually apply to it.
| School | Level | EQAO |
|---|---|---|
| St Michael's Choir (Jr) School | Elementary | 9.8 / 10 |
| St Michael's Choir (Sr) School | Secondary | 9.8 / 10 |
| Kensington Community School School Junior | Elementary | 9.7 / 10 |
| École élémentaire Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau | Elementary | 9.3 / 10 |
| Collège français secondaire | Secondary | 9.3 / 10 |
| Clinton Street Junior Public School | Elementary | 9.0 / 10 |
Sale figures are aggregates from the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s MLS® System over the last twelve months. School information: Ontario Ministry of Education and EQAO. Population, income and age: Statistics Canada 2021 Census, averaged across the dissemination areas this neighbourhood covers.